Rachel Penner - Elementary Teacher

Rachel Penner, a middle school teacher in Mellen, Wisconsin, considered three main factors when choosing a college: She wanted to stay close to her family; she wanted to play basketball; and she wanted a great education. That's why she chose Northland.

"It's all about making connections," says Rachel. "And if you want to make connections, Northland is the place to be. Because of the small campus and the close-knit community, you have the ability to make connections quickly."

A native of Northern Wisconsin, Rachel was enrolled in the Mellen School District, about twenty miles south of Ashland. After graduating from high school she attended Northland and earned a degree in education with a minor in social studies. She also played basketball at Northland and served as the assistant sports information director.

Now, Rachel teaches in the middle school that she attended as a child, and coaches both the middle and high school women's basketball teams for her district.

"It's a balancing act," says Rachel of working in the schools. "And I learned how to find balance at Northland with all the things I was involved in."

In addition to athletics and a student work study position, Rachel worked with other Northland students in an after school program with the Ashland Public Schools.

"That was huge. We were getting these first-hand experiences in front of a classroom, managing students," says Rachel. That experience, along with other classroom visits early in her college career, solidified her interest in education, something that not all teaching programs can offer.

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